Straw plate for piece of furniture such as chair as well as chairs fitted with said plate

ABSTRACT

STRAW PLATE FOR A PIECE OF FURNITURE SUCH AS A CHAIR, MADE OF AS MANY FREE UNITS AS THE PATTERN OF THE STRAW WORK DESIRED NECESSITATES, EACH UNIT BEING COVERED WITH COATING FIBER, ADEQUATE MEANS BEING PROVIDED FOR THE ASSEMBLY OF THE COVERED UNITS BETWEEN THEM, WHICH ALLOWS TO GET OF THE MANPOWER REQUIRED FOR USUAL STRAW WORK IN WHICH COVERING FIBRES INTERLACE, WHILE A SIMILAR APPEAR-   ANCE OF THE CHAIR PLATE IS OBTAINED WHEN FINISHED, SAID PLATE BEING SELF-BEARING.

Sept. 20, 1971 :P. BRUNIAUX 3,606,462

7 STRAW PLATE FOR PIECE OF FURNITURE SUCH AS CHAIR AS WELL AS CHAIRSFITTED WITH SAID PLATE Filed Jan. 3, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENIORPIERRE BRUN IAUX BY @Wv A'ITORN Y5 Sept. 20, 1971 p, um ux 3,606,462

, STRAW PLATE FOR PIECEOF FURNITURE SUCH AS cmun I AS WELL AS CHAIRSFITTED WITH SAID PLATE Filed Jan. 5, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 aw: mo'aPIERRE ammmux ATTO RNIYS Filed Jam's, 1969 Sept. 20, 1971 p, N ux3,606,462

. STRAW PLATE FOR PIECE OF FURNITURE SUCH AS CHAIR AS WELL AS CHAIRSFITTED WITH SAID, PLATE I 3 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTOR PIERRE BRUNIAUXATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofice 3,606,462 Patented Sept. 20, 19713,606,462 STRAW PLATE FOR PIECE OF FURNITURE SUCH AS CHAIR AS WELL ASCHAIRS FITTED WITH SAID PLATE Pierre Bruniaux, 8 Rue des Bouchers,

Cambrai, Nord, France Filed Jan. 3, 1969, Ser. No. 794,470

Claims priority, application France, Apr. 4, 1968, 147,013; Sept. 23,1968, 167,227 Int. Cl. A47c 7/02 US. Cl. 297-452 18 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE Straw plate for a piece of furniture such as a chair,made of as many free units as the pattern of the straw 'work desirednecessitates, each unit being covered with coating fibre, adequate meansbeing provided for the assembly of the covered units between them, whichallows to get rid of the manpower required for usual straw work in whichcovering fibres interlace, while a similar appearance of the chair plateis obtained 'when finished, said plate being selfabearing.

The invention relates to a plate to be fitted on strawbottomed chairswhich can be made automatically thus doing away with the usual longmanual work required for the covering or the re-covering with straw.

As a matter of fact, prior straw plates are covered with an interlacingof plant fibres joined in a continuous way. The chair plate has theappearance of a frame the center part of which is empty; the appearanceof the outer side is obtained, at the same time the central part of theframe is filled-up, by this interlacing of fibre which takes a long timeto make.

FIG. 1 shows a chair plate made according to the usual hand process.

Fibres A interlace with other fibres B, the latter being arranged on aplane at a right angle towards the others; the interlacing forms twodiagonals C and D which give to the seat its concave shape. Theinterlacing of fibres according to the drawing shown on FIG. 1 is themost usual, but different other geometric designs can be obtaineddepending on the shaping used.

When the interlacing is too flat, upholstering is employed in order topuff-out the seat.

This handicraft process requires an extremely skilled manpower.

Moreover, the achievement of the bottom part of a seat plates takesapproximately 3 or 4 hours.

The object of the invention is to overcome the inconveniences arisingfrom this handicraft work and relates, to this end, to a straw plate fora piece of furniture, such as a chair, in which said plate is made ofseveral units covered separately in such way that, when groupedtogether, said units reproduce the final aspect of the plate desired.

Each unit includes fastening parts which work with fastening partsrigidly locked with contiguous units.

A chair straw plate, according to the invention, is shown as anonrestricted example, on the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the seat plate made from various unitsaccording to the invention, said units being not yet covered with straw.

'FIG. 3 shows a cross-section view along the line J-J in FIG. 2 of aunit fitted with struts, according to the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a view along the line GG in FIG. 2, front units beingremoved.

FIG. 5 shows a view in perspective of the detail of an assembly ofcorners of two solid units.

FIG. 6 shows the various units partly completed which form the plate ofa seat, according to another making process.

FIG. 7 shows another making process for the manufacture of the plateunits in a single mechanic operation.

FIG. 8 shows another process for the covering of the plate units,according to the drawing of FIG. 7.

A straw plate of a seat, according to FIG. 2, is composed of an assemblyof four separate units 1, 2, 3, 4 not covered with straw.

These separate units 1, 2, 3, 4 which have a triangular shape,approximately, are composed of an external frame, the hollow centralpart of which is so designed that units 1, 3 and 4, or the central partfitted with struts 2a, 3a at right angles, will form a square whichstiffens the rigidity of this unit.

The triangular frame of units 1, 2, 3, 4 includes a rim 2c, as this isshown for unit 2, which is approximately at a right angle with thesurface of the unit and has the shape of the cog serrated edge of theunit.

This rim increases the rigidity of the assembly. It includes swellsintended for the housing of fastening parts 3e, such as screws, pegs orsimilar pieces, working with tightening parts such as nuts or similarpieces held by corresponding swells of the contiguous edges of theabuttin-g units.

According to a construction detail shown on FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, theassembly of various separate units 1, 2, 3 and 4 is obtained by theassembly in corners 5, 6, 7 and 8 and by a central assembly 9.

The corner assembly is made by interlocking two male and female mouldedparts 10 and 11.

Male part 10 is, for instance, set at the various corresponding cornersof units 1, 2, 3, 4, while the female part 11 is rigidly locked with theother corners of the base of the triangular units 1, '2, 3, 4, in suchway that alternately, male unit 10 of a unit interlocks with female unit11 of the adjacent corner of the abutting unit.

According to the construction detail shown on FIGS. 2 and 3, male parts10 are rigidly fastened with the corners of straw units 2 and 4, whilefemale units 11 are rigidly fastened with the corners of straw units 1and 3.

This assembly by interlocking of two units 10 and 11, in shape of acase, imitates the wood corners of the straw plates of chairs madeaccording to handicraft processes.

Such assemblies made with cases, allow the maker to reduce considerablythe quantity of material used by comparison with a solid parts assembly12, 13 as shown on FIG. 4, while they give an impression of a certainvolume.

Moreover, such type of assembly, owing to the use of male 10 and female11 units, is stiff enough to allow the fastening of a plate on thecorresponding bearing points of the seat.

When assembling the various units 1, 2, 3, 4 by cases 5, 6, 7, 8 placedat the corners of the various bases, interjacent fastening units 1d, 22,2d, 1e can be left out and replaced by a single central assembly 9 made,for instance, by the using of a groove 9a into which is set a split ring9!).

It is obvious that central assembly 9 may be as well composed of anassembly including screws, hooks, or any other means of assembly,fastening for instance the corners of the units to a central smallplate.

However, an assembly made with cases 5, 6, 7 arranged on thecircumference of the seat, and with a central assembly 9, increases theflexibility of the plate and, consequently, the comfort of such seat.

In fact, various units 1, 2, 3, 4 can work freely between them.

The assembly obtained by using fastening parts 1d, 112, 2d, 2e, etc.between the adjacent sides of the various units increases the stiffnessof such a seat plate and, consequently, makes it less comfortable.

However, when such a type of assembly is used (which necessitates anassembly at the corners, either through cases 5, 6, 7, 8 or through anyother means) the thickness of walls 20 can be reduced, so as to increaseflexibility, and the latter method allows the maker to bring down theweight of the material used and, as a consequence, the cost price of theplate.

According to a different process, units 1, 2 and 4, shown on FIG. 2, arecomposed of a frame having a shape approximately triangular and are notfitted with struts 2a and 3a as unit 2 is.

Thus, it is possible to fill the empty part of units 3, 4 with aflexible material, such as rubber, synthetic foam, or any other, whichincreases the swelling of units 1, 3, 4 when covered with fibres and, asa result, improves the comfort of the seat.

FIG. 4 shows in detail the various types of assembly between the twoadjacent units 1 and 4, by means of male and female cases and 11, and ofa central assembling part 9 made of a groove 9a and a ring 9b.

Owing to the fact ring 9b is split, a spring etfect or an additionalelasticity is obtained which is materialized by the spacing between theadjacent sides of units 1 and 4.

In order to simplify the scheme, units 1 and 4 of FIG. 4 do not includecog or serrated edges allowing the holding of the fibres in the rightposition.

As shown with thin lines on FIG. 2, units 1 and 4 include three strandsof fibres 12 which allow the maker to see their marks in the part closeto the center, as well as their fastening in the notches made in theedges of the respective units.

According to a simplified process and, as shown on FIG. 6, separateunits 21, 22, 23, and 24 are grouped together on a bearing plate 20.

According to the process, the central strand, which is made of strawfibres, is replaced by a central strand prefabricated or moulded, madeof wood, plastics, foam or any conglomerate.

The scheme which appears on FIG. 2 is not restricted and the visibleplate may be cut out (when coated with fibre) according to the geometricpattern desired.

Each triangle, required for the making-up of a visible plate, is thencovered separately with straw fibres (or with a synthetic thread), insuch way that, when completed, each triangle appears like those shownunder marks 21 and 24; triangle shown under mark 23 is re-covered with aflexible synthetic material 25, which there again gives the rightsoftness to the seat plate. This flexible material 25 may be glued,stapled, or merely laid on the plate, the re-covering with straw fibres,made afterwards, securing it once for ever.

The triangle 22 is partially covered with straw fibre. The inclinedsides of each triangle are cut away at 26 in order to secure thecovering of plant fibres.

These four separate units are brought close to each other and fastenedby any means on the plate support 20; the whole assembly has then theappearance of usual seat plates.

In the case a plate delimited by an X and having four triangles isdesired, two of these triangles 27 and 28 must be superposed and spacedby battens 29. The covering with plant or synthetic fibres 30 is madeautomatically. Once these two units are covered, the fibre is cut off,for instance, along the axis line shown at 31, so as to separate unit 27from unit 28.

Before doing this, fibres must be glued together, of course, as well asthe surfaces and the sides of the two units.

Once these two units are separated, their interlocking is then carriedout on the support plate 32 which shows on its surface recesses orgrooves 33 in which will be nested the rims 34 of the units 27 and 28which serve to form the visible side of the seat plate. The straw, orother material, is then finally secured by this interlockmg.

The invention is not restricted, of course, to the design exampleshereinabove described and presented, from which other methods andprocesses can be used which remain within the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A straw plate construction for a furniture seat comprising aplurality of approximately triangular separate plate units disposed innarrowly-spaced adjoining relationship defining a quadrilateralstructure having base edges and base corners facing outward and apexedges and apex corners facing inward toward one another,

each unit including an approximately triangular body with a cover ofcord-like material disposed thereon in courses arranged in side-by-sideabutting engagement with one another,

means for coupling to one another the base corners of adjacent units,

and means for interconnecting the apex portions of said units.

2. A straw plate construction, according to claim 1, wherein each bodyincludes an open-centered frame with said cover extending thereacross.

3. A straw plate construction, according to claim 1, wherein said apexedges have cutaway portions extending therealong and wherein saidcourses of said cord-like material are disposed in said cutawayportions.

4. A straw plate construction, according to claim 1, wherein said baseedges have serrations forming notches therein and wherein said coursesof said cord-like material are disposed in said notches.

5. A straw plate construction, according to claim 1, wherein saidcourses of said cord-like material extend entirely around each body.

6. A straw plate construction, according to claim 1, wherein said bodieshave sides disposed transversely thereto along said edges and whereinsaid courses of said cord-like material extend across the upper surfaceof said body and downward along said sides of said body and terminatenear the lower edges of said sides of said body.

'7. A straw plate construction, according to claim 6, wherein there isprovided a quadrilateral support plate with recesses therein receivingsaid sides of said bodies.

8. A straw plate construction, according to claim 1 wherein saidcoupling means includes a pair of interfitting coupling elements withone element secured to one base corner of each body and the otherelement secured to the adjacent base corner of an adjacent body.

9. A straw plate construction, according to claim 2, wherein reinforcingstruts are connected to said bodies and extend across the open centersthereof;

10. A straw plate construction, according to claim 1, wherein saidinterconnecting means include aligned arcuate grooves disposed in saidbodies adjacent the apex corners thereof and also include an annularconnecting element seated in said grooves in interconnectingrelationship with said apex corners of said bodies.

11. A straw plate construction, according to claim 1, wherein saidinterconnecting means also include fasteners extending across the spacesbetween adjacent units and entering into penetrating engagement withsaid adjacent units.

12. A straw plate construction, according to claim 1, wherein each pairof said triangular units are severed from a box-like structure includinga pair of triangular bodies disposed in .spaced parallel relationshipwith spacers extending therebetween and with the cover of cord-likematerial extending around the outer surfaces of both bodies and acrossthe space therebetween.

13. A furniture plate construction such as a chair plate of the typehaving a support covered by a cord of natural or synthetic materialforming a particular final design on the visible surface of the plate,characterized in that the plate is composed of as many separate elementsas the particular design is to contain, each of these elements beingconstructed of rigid material and covered individually and separatelyfrom one another by a flexible cord wound therearound, these coveredelements being joined side-by-side in a particular arrangement formingsaid final design.

14. A furniture plate construction, according to claim 13, characterizedin that each element, prior to its being mounted side by side with otheridentical or different elements, contains on its periphery notchesreceiving and guiding the wound cord.

15. A furniture straw plate construction, according to claim 13,characterized in that each element on its lower side carries means forconnecting said elements to one another in said particular arrangement.

16. A furniture plate construction, according to claim 13, characterizedin that the separate elements in said UNITED STATES PATENTS 714,73012/1902 Morris 160378 2,703,603 3/ 1955 Endicott 297-45 2 2,693,84711/1954 Kablotsky 297-440 REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner

